A group of Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to President Joe Biden requesting that he issue a “waiver of informed consent” to make getting vaccinated against Covid-19 mandatory for all US military service members.
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CNN obtained a copy of the letter, which was sent on Wednesday from a congressional aide.
Currently the Department of Defense cannot make vaccinations mandatory because they have only been authorized by the Food and Drug Administration for emergency use. A waiver from the President could bypass that rule.
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The Department of Defense has said publicly that the opt-out rate among service members eligible to be vaccinated is about 33%, but last week military officials and service members CNN spoke with from several bases and units across the country suggest the current rejection rate may be closer to 50%.